Darren Adam Heitner, Esq. is the Founder of HEITNER LEGAL, Founder/CEO of Dynasty Dealings, LLC, Professor of Sport Agency Management at Indiana University Bloomington, Co-Founder of Collegiate Sports Advisors (CSA) and Founder/Chief Editor of Sports Agent Blog, a leading niche industry publication. He is an attorney licensed to practice on the state and federal level, and focuses on sports, entertainment, and intellectual property litigation and transactional work.
Darren is the author of How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know (published by the American Bar Association), Contributing Writer of An Athlete’s Guide to Agents, 5th Edition, and has authored many sports, entertainment and intellectual property-related Law Journal articles.
Darren has a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the same institution.

Roughly one month ago, Levi Strauss & Co. agreed to a naming rights deal that contemplates the payment of $220 million to the San Francisco 49ers over a term of 20 years.

Levi Strauss & Co. took active steps to protect some potentially very valuable intellectual property prior to the execution of the agreement. In March, it was revealed that Levi’s purchased the domain names for Levi Field, Levi Stadium and Levi Strauss Park.

Now it appears that Levi Strauss & Co. has also begun the trademarking process for names related to the to-be-constructed stadium in Santa Clara, California. On May 7, Levi’s filed an application to trademark the phrase “Levi’s Stadium”, which seems to be the brand’s ultimate choice concerning the naming of the future stadium. However, one day later, it also filed applications for quite creative nicknames that may be used in relation to the forthcoming structure.

Levi Strauss has applied for trademarks on “Win one for the Zipper” and “Field of Jeans,” possible nicknames to 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium

Both “Field of Jeans” and “Win one for the Zipper” have been applied for by Levi Strauss & Co. for the specific intended commercial use with regards to “providing stadium facilities for sporting and entertainment events; providing information relating to sporting and entertainment events via the internet.” Both applications were filed based upon a bona fide intent to use the mark in commerce, and it is easily assumed that such use will be in concert with the new 49ers naming rights deal.

It now looks as if 49ers CEO Jed York’s May 8 comment, ”Welcome to the field of jeans,” was no joking matter.

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